PG&E Offers Carbon Emissions Offsets
Want to go "carbon neutral" but don't know how? If you're in northern California, you can do it by purchasing carbon "offsets" with ClimateSmart.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co., one of the state's largest utilities, is now offering both consumers and businesses the opportunity to help fund projects that offset the carbon emissions generated by their energy use. The program's pretty simple. You voluntarily sign up to spend an additional amount for electricity that goes to clean alternative energy projects like wind and solar power. The amount you pay is based on your "carbon footprint," determined by a new calculator PG&E developed.

Residential customers pay as little as $5 a month extra. Businesses like the Front Porch restaurant and Sierra Nevada Brewing already have signed up for the program. PG&E was its own first participant, agreeing to put $1.5 million into alternative energy projects over the next three years to offset the carbon footprint of its offices, service centers and maintenance facilities.

The utility said the program will generate about $20 million in its first three years, enough to offset the emissions of about 350,000 cars.

McD'S To Use New Network To Save EnergyHoping to save 10% of the more than $1 billion it spends on energy each year, McDonald's Corp. announced it will start using a networking system to monitor and control energy use in its stores.

Part of the chain's "Kitchen of the Future" development, the new network lets managers, even regional offices, control energy use in a store. The system, from Echelon Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., is called LonWorks and uses electric wiring in restaurants as a communications path, connecting equipment with store PCs or other computers via the Internet.

Using the network, equipment can be programmed to use energy more efficiently, such as sequencing grills so they don't pre-heat all at once or adjusting hood fan speed to cooking volume.

Franchisees won't be required to buy the new equipment, according to Bernard Morauw, senior director of worldwide equipment systems, but the chain hopes to install it in all new and remodeled company stores. The system will be field-tested either late this year or early next.

IAFP Schedules 3rd EU Food Safety Conference
The third International Association for Food Protection European food safety symposium is scheduled for October18-19, 2007 at the Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center in Rome.

This year's conference, titled "Advancements in Food Safety," will focus on assessment and enumeration of microbial hazards, food safety management and control and emerging hazards.

Designed to be interactive, the symposium features food safety experts from around the world. You can find information on registration, the program and hotel accommodations at www.foodprotection.org. click on "Meetings and Education." Or call IAFP at 800/369-6337.

EPA Wants You To Save WaterHere's HowWant to cut down on your water bill? The EPA wants you to use water more efficiently, too. While not specifically geared to restaurants, the agency has put together a list of ideas for commercial businesses, and guarantees you'll find at least one idea you can put to practical use.

U.K. McD'S To Run Trucks On Fryer FatMcDonald's U.K. said it should have all 155 of its delivery trucks up and running on biodiesel within a year. Even better, the fuel will be made from recycled fryer fat from its own restaurants.

About 20 trucks in its 45-truck fleet in southern England are running on biodiesel now. In a year, the chain expects to convert all its trucks. Fuel for the trucks is made from 85% recycled fryer fat and 15% pure rapeseed oil. McD's will eventually make diesel from 100% recycled oil as it improves the refinement process, and could even have excess to sell to the market in the future, according to Matthew Howe, senior vp.

Converting the trucks to biodiesel should prevent about 1,700 tons of greenhouse gases from going into the atmosphere each yearthe equivalent of taking about 2,400 cars off the road.

The trucks won't smell like fries, however, said Howe. "What a Pavlovian effect (smelling like fries might have)! It would be fantastic, but unfortunately it does not," he said. The trucks should have less engine deposit, thoughMcD's UK switched to trans fat-free oil this year.